Air treating mechanism



7, 1935. .1. D. LANDERMAN AIR TREATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1933 Aug. 27, 1935. J. D. LANDERMAN 2,012,608

AIR TREATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 18, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wmazmwm M M! Patented Aug. 27,1935 I 2,012,608.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR TREATING MECHANISM John D. Landerman, Boston, Mass. Application September 18, 1933, Serial No. 689,829 4 Glaims. (01. 261-90) This invention relates to air treating mechacharge tl'i'rough opening 26, while the opposite nism and the object is to provide an efficient and end of the shaft carries suitable water dissipatcompact mechanism oi this kind which, though ing means. not necessarily limited thereto, is particularly In the embodiment of the invention herein suitable for use as a portable or semi-portable shown the water dissipating means is multiple. 5 unit for domestic use. I have herein shown as secured on the motor My invention may be well understood by refershaft a hub 39 carrying a spider 4| which supence to the following description in connection ports inner and outer drums 43 and 45, respecwith the illustrative embodiment thereof shown, tively. The inner drum 43 may have a diameter by way of example, in the accompanying drawat least substantially as great as the caseof the 10 ings, wherein: motor 35 so as not to be shielded by the same Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the mechafrom the current of air from the fan. This drum nism with various parts broken away; has a suitable absorbent wall and is herein shown Fig. 2 is a similar plan section with parts as consisting of a body or felt or similar abbroken away; sorbent material 41 received between two foram- 5 Fig. 3 is a broken section on the line 3-3 oi. inous cylindrical plates 49. The outer drum 45 Fig. 2; may be formed of sheet metal which has its sur- Fig. 4 isa section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 4; face suitably formed to dissipate water. Herein and I have shown parts struck up therefrom to form Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 openings iii, the material displaced from the 2 of Fig. 2. openings forming vanes 53 which are inclined to Referring to the drawings, the device shown the radial, as best shown in Fig. 5, and are bent is organized in a suitable housing I which may upwardly alongbase lines diagonalto the elements be formed as or received within any suitable of the cylinder, as best seen in Fig. 2, so that in ornamental article of furniture. The lower porrotation of the drum they tend to force fluid with tion provides a water tank which may be permawhich they come in contact toward the opennently or temporarily connected at H with a ing 26.

source of water supply, a valve controlled by a A suitable hood or casing 55 overlies the motor float l3 providing for maintaining a constant and the parts carried. thereby and it is continued,

level of water in the tank. I may also provide a as indicated at 51 at the right of Fig. 1; com- 30 funnel-like opening IE5 at the side of the houspletely to encircle the drums 43 and 45. This ins which is exposed when the deer hereinpart of the housing may be lined at 59 with lead after referred t s p 170 P mit t e ta k to to obviate objectionable noise and the lower part be filled from a p tcher Or the like. Refrigeratthereof is provided with a drain 6! to return any ing coils I1 and a heater is may be provided for accumulated liquid water to the tank. 7 35 controlling the temperature of the water as de- Between the drums and the opening 26 and sired. In the bottom of the tank there is prefclosely adjacent to the former I provide scruberably formed a sump H in which solid matter bing plates 63 preferably'of the form best seen may collect provided with the clean-Out openin Fig. 2 defining zigzag or tortuous passages 1 3- there'between. In the operation of the device the 40 In e upp P Of the casing there e PIO- blades 53 forcibly drive the air and water fog vided opposing openings 25 and 26 providing beagainst these plates. They not only serve as tween them an Passage. The Opening 5 ay baffles to eliminate liquid water as such from be normally closed by the hinged door 21 comthe air stream but act to thoroughly scrub and I prising inner and outer perforated plates 29 rewash the air. The plates are constantly wet 5 ceiving betwe h a be s of Suitable porous and the air and water forcibly worked thereupon material such as a packing of steel wool, the door to provide a scrubbing action to clean the air. thus consistin n i l y of a p r l b c0n It is the fact that the mere mixing of water stituting an air filter. Mounted between the spray and air, while it will humidify the air, will openings on a stirrup 33 I have herein shown an not wash solid particles from the same. This re- 50 electric moto 35 0f the double Shaft p that quires a scrubbing action'which is efficiently obis, having its rotor shaft projecting at both ends. tained in the present instance by the forcible The end adjacent the door carries a rotary fan projection of the water against and through the 31 adapted to draw air through the filter which scrubbing plates 63. Water deposited on the constitutes the door into the air passage for displates gravitates along the same to the gutter 55 i I l v 1 6| beneath them from which it may return through drain 61 to the tank.

The two rotary drums 43 and 45 are located, as seen in Fig. 1, above the level of thewater in the tank and do not make contact therewith. Water may be supplied to their surfaces through power taken from the shaft of the motor 35,-

and herein the hub 39 has formed as a portion thereof a belt pulley 69 with which cooperates a companion pulley ll carried at the end of an arm 13 depending from the stirrup 33. The lower pulley II is located beneath the surface of the water in the tank. About the pulley is trained a belt conveyor 15. I name it thus in the present instance in a descriptive sense, since in the embodiment shown it functions both as a driving belt to transmit power and as a direct conveyor of water. Thus, referring to Fig. 1, a suitable pump ll, unnecessary to illustrate in detail, is driven from the shaft of the pulley H. The intake of the pump is to the tank and the discharge to the pipe [8 preferably leading to the space between the drums 43 and 45. Herein I have shown a spray nozzle 19 located in this space and discharging against a fixed baiile 8|, thus providing for the delivery of water in finely divided form between the two drums, to find its way to the surfaces of both of them. Apart from the action of the pump, water is also delivered to the drums by the direct action of the belt acting as a conveyor. The belt 13 (see Figs. 2 and 3) is herein shown as enclosed by a two part housing 83, the parts being hinged together at 95 and the hinge line being covered by the plate 81 to prevent egress of water therethrough. At the upper end of the housing and at the side toward which the belt moves, it is provided with the enlargement 89 which, in cooperation with the baflle wall 9| extending adjacent the top of the belt, forms a receptacle. Water thrown from the belt as its direction of motion is reversed is thrown into this receptacle or against the walls of the housing to drain along said walls to the receptacle. A hole 93 leads from the bottom of the receptacle to a nozzle 95, which, as seen in Figs. 2 and 1, projects forwardly into the interior of the drum 43. This nozzle is provided with holes 91 through which the water may drain from the receptacle and drip onto the inner wall of the absorbent drum 43.

In'the operation of the device, water is finely broken up and thoroughly commingled with a stream of filtered air drawn by the fan 31 through the door 21 and discharged about the motor casing. The cooperative and reciprocal action of the two drums is particularly effective in bringing the water into intimate contact with the air while the forcible projection of the water fog and air against the scrubbing plates 63 by means of the diagonally disposed blades 53 effects a thorough scrubbing of the air as it passes through these plates while eliminating surplus water therefrom. Air properly filtered, washed and tempered is thus delivered through the latter opening. If the device is stopped and the spraying action effected by the pump 11 thus intermitted, any water accumulated in the receptacle 39 will drain therefrom through the nozzle 95 to the absorbent wall of the drum l3, which is thus maintained in a moist condition ready for immediate action.

A pipe coil 99 may be provided traversing the battles 63 through which a refrigerant/or a heating medium may be circulated to cool the passing air. The baffles serve also as conducting fins for the pipe of which this coil is formed.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim: 1. In a device of the class described an air conduit, a drum rotating therein having a foraminous wall and provided with oblique blades, means for delivering water to said wall from a location remote from the drum to be broken up and centrifugally discharged thereby and tortuous scrubbing plates adjacent an end of the drum against which the air and water fog are forcibly driven by said blades and through which the washed air is delivered.

2. In a device of the class described an air conduit, a series of concentric foraminous drums and an external drum surrounding the same having a sheet metal cylindrical wall with parts struck up therefrom along oblique lines to provide openings and exterior blades, said drums rotating as a unit, means for delivering water from a location remote therefrom to said drums to be broken up and centrifugally discharged thereby and tortuous scrubbing plates adjacent one end of the drums against which the air and water fog are forcibly driven by said blades and through which the washed air is delivered.

3. In a device of the class described an air conduit, a drum rotating therein having a foraminous wall and provided with oblique blades, means for delivering water to said wall from a location remote from the drum to be broken up and centrifugally discharged thereby and tortuous scrubbing plates adjacent an end of the drum against which the air and water fog are forcibly driven by said blades and through which the washed air is delivered and a pipe for heat exchange fluid passing through said plates transversely to the air discharging passages therethrough.

4. A device of the class described comprising an air conduit, a rotating device therein for breaking up and discharging centrifugally across the air stream water delivered thereto, means for delivering water to said device from a remote point, an encircling drum rotating with said device having a multiplicity of oblique blades and tortuous scrubbing plates adjacent an end of said drum against which the air and water fog are forcibly driven by said blades and through which the washed air is delivered.

. J OHN D. LANDERMAN. 

